Gent - Wevelgem, which takes place in Belgium on Sunday will be the 78th in its long-running history. The second of the four ‘cobblestone classics’ is an exceptionally tough race, taking in some of the most-feared climbs in professional cycling, including the steep, narrow and cobbled Kemmelberg.

After taking tenth spot last year in a race he won in 2013, and finishing strongly in 2014, Peter Sagan returns to Gent - Wevelgem with unfinished business at the race. The 243km race covers no fewer than ten climbs in the space of 65km. Starting in Deinze in northern Belgium, Sagan will lead a strong team with experience riding the classics.

Looking at how the race may go for him, Peter Sagan was balanced in his view.

"Gent - Wevelgem might prove more difficult for me than E3 Harelbeke, as the finish is more suitable for solo attacks and it's not easy to watch everyone. Any team with more riders at the front after crossing the hills could have a big advantage, but it may not be decisive - anyone can surprise in these classics. Also, the weather could cause confusion again. In my opinion anything will be possible up until the last moment, but I hope to be in the right place at the right time, and to be able to pull a wheelie at the finish line like three years ago."

At the start on Sunday, Sagan will be joined by Maciej Bodnar, Pavel Brutt, Adam Blythe, Oscar Gatto, Michael Gogl, Michael Kolar, and Erik Baška. Riders like Blythe, Brutt and Gatto carry lots of experience in the cobblestone classics, and will prove vital in preparing for the tough climbs of the race.

“Peter Sagan will again be our leader here, but there’s the opportunity for others to be there.” said Sport Director, Tristan Hoffman, of the team. “It’s a good race for guys like Erik Baška and Michael Kolar to gain experience, but without any pressure. If small groups go away everyone is always watching Peter in these circumstances so we’re open to getting others in the moves and seeing how things pan out.”

The profile of the first 125km of the 243km course looks innocent enough – especially when viewed in the context of the climbs of the final 118km – but riders will encounter some of the hardest conditions of the race here. The plains of Flanders experience heavy crosswinds, and at this time of the year, unpredictable weather is likely. The bunch may be split here, and many riders drop out after giving their all to protect their team leader.

Hoffman continues. “Gent - Wevelgem is quite a different race to E3 – the past editions have shown that it’s much more for sprinters. The wind can have an influence here as we head to the coast, and we saw this to the very extreme last year! The forecast can still change before the weekend but those conditions are quite rare.”

At 140km come the major climbs of the day, and they don’t stop coming – crossing eight climbs in around 30km. It’s also here that the riders get their first taste of the fearsome Kemmelberg, the fully-cobbled climb that hits gradients of up to 23% - with a descent as tough and technical as the climb itself. While there are far fewer cobbled sections in Gent-Wevelgem than the other cobbled classics, this climb alone makes the race worthy of its inclusion in the list.

When Peter won Gent - Wevelgem in 2013, it was with a brave solo attack with 4km remaining, while the 2014 edition ended in a bunch sprint of twenty-eight riders, where Sagan took 3rd place. Hoffman was expecting a fast finish in this year’s race. “You have the climbs in the final but it suits the fast men more. Normally you can expect a reduced sprint here if the wind isn’t too crazy, as all the sprinters believe that they can win here.” One thing is for certain – racing will be hard – in a race where in the 2015 edition, only thirty-nine riders completed the race.